This article from China Christian Daily highlights the importance of prayer among groups of Chinese Christians. Josiah Li describes several unique ways that churches integrate prayer into the lives of Christians, including the use of prayer caves and prayer chains.
Interesting, Moving Prayer Ministries in China:
Prayer Rooms, Caves
Through prayer, the Chinese church has launched many campaigns to promote church ministries and a life of prayer. Churches have arranged special rooms and even caves for activities such as daily devotions and prayer, prayer chains, fasting and mourning, and prayer meetings.
Prayer Room
In a teaching building of Heilongjiang Theological Seminary, each of the 52 prayer rooms has a cross and prayer kneeling pad where seminary students are free to spend devotional time and pray alone.
The number "52" represents the 52 weeks in a year with the blessing that every student can have personal devotions and prayer on a daily basis.
A graduate told me that she liked to meet God and talk with him in a fixed room. Some students even stay there for several hours.
Prayer Cave
A church in Shaanxi built 66 small "prayer caves" on its sloped wall, referencing the 66 books of the Bible.
Seventy-five-year-old Sister Shao has for over a decade been getting up at 4 a.m. or later, to pray for over two hours. Her regular prayers concern the world, different countries, unreached places, her church ministries, ongoing events in her church, as well as prayer requests from other believers.
Sunday Prayer Team
During each Sunday service conducted in a northeast China church, there is a 20-strong team praying throughout the service. Teams take turns leading worship and attend other services when it's not their turn.
Prayer Group for Church Construction
A church in Jinsha New District, Qitaihe, Heilongjiang Province, has a prayer group that prays three times a day for its new church construction.
The congregation, and especially the prayer group, has employed various prayer methods for the construction project, such as regularly scheduled prayers, prayer chains, and fasting.
Deacon Zheng who has led the group for eight years has experienced many answered prayers.
A church that values prayer will experience revival. And through our prayers, the Lord Jesus will add to their number those who should be saved. Although prayer is important, how many people want to attend prayer meetings? Praying is very boring and tedious, and it can easily become a formality. But, we enjoy the sweetness of the Lord's grace under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, having the same mindset as Jesus Christ and His care for God's house. Let's pray, pray, and amazing things will come! Glory to the Triune God!
21-Day Prayer Chain
Since 2009, Baoji Huoquan Church in Shaanxi Province begins a fasting chain and prayer movement 21 days before Easter. During that period, the congregation meets every evening and takes a rented bus home when the gathering ends.
Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. (James 5:16)
Original Article: Interesting, Moving Prayer Ministries in China: Prayer Rooms, Caves… , by Josiah Li, translated by by Karen Luo on China Christian Daily.
Edited and reposted with permission.
Header image credit: Turn my Darkness into Light by Josh Kenzer, on Flickr.
Text images credit: China Christian Daily.
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